Chapter 6

Environment: Strategies for Gujarat

Somnath Bandyopadhyay

INTRODUCTION
Rapid economic development is often accompanied by a host of environmental problems. Gujarat has not
been an exception to this. Gujarat’s industrial sector has grown at an accelerating rate, which reached
almost 12 per cent during the 1990s. From just over 5 million people in 1961, the urban areas in Gujarat
today provide livelihoods for over 18 million, comprising 40 per cent of the total population of 50.6
million.
Gujarat is now the second most industrialised state in India, but this performance has come at a price. The
last four decades have seen growth in such heavily polluting industries as textiles and dyes, as well is in
distinctly hazardous industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals. Several rivers
and streams in the highly industrial and urbanised ‘Golden Corridor’, such as the Sabarmati, the Khari,
the Mahi, the Mini, the Amlakhadi, the Damanganga and the Par, are critically polluted by effluents from
petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceuticals, dyes and dye intermediates and textile industries, in addition
to municipal discharges.
Gujarat is now the third most polluted states in the country, after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
Pollution is now widespread in the air, water, land and even the groundwater. The lack of any appreciable
sewage treatment in the cities has compounded the problems of industrial waste discharge. Coastal water
quality is also being threatened, with the most adverse consequences for fragile ecosystems and their
biodiversity, particularly the coral reefs in the Gulf of Kachchh. Extensive deforestation has also become
a serious problem.

I
General Status
Gujarat covers an area of 195,984 square km. This is about 6 per cent of the total area of India. Most parts
of the State have sub-humid and semi-arid climates, merging with the arid zone in the north and north-
west. Large parts of the State are drought-prone. Mainland Gujarat receives 800-2000 mm of rainfall in a
year while the region of Saurashtra and Kachchh receives only 300-600 mm. Aridity ranges between 10
per cent towards the south-eastern hilly region to 40 per cent in large parts of Kachchh. The Tapi valley
and the South Gujarat plains have developed black cotton soils, recent alluviums of trap origin.
The plains of North Gujarat, on the other hand, consists of very deep alluvial deposits brought down by
the rivers Banas, Rupen and Saraswati and are akin to the Indo-Gangetic plains of north India. Rivers in
the north (Rupen, Saraswati, Banas) arise from the Aravalli hills and flow into the Ranns of Kachchh. The
rivers draining the central and southern parts fall into the Gulf of Khambhat and the Arabian Sea.
Almost half of the state’s total geographical area is under croplands. About two-thirds of this area is
dependent on the rains, the rest being irrigated. Sorghum, cotton, sugarcane, pearl millet, groundnut,
tobacco, maize and paddy have been the major crops in the state. Cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, spices
and condiments are also important crops. Major horticultural species include chikoo, mangoes, banana,
coconut, etc. Although there are some pockets where indigenous crop varieties are cultivated, much of the

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cropland is estimated to be under hybridised high-yielding varieties.
The major rivers are the Sabarmati, the Mahi, the Narmada and the Tapi. The Rann of Kachchh is a
hypersaline, sedimentary system, covering 21,960 square kilometres km., which is 11.2 per cent of the
total geographic area (TGA) of Gujarat and nearly half of the district of Kachchh. The Great Rann of
Kachchh lies to the north of the Kachchh mainland, spanning an area of 16,780 sq km, while the Little
Rann of Kachchh is located on its eastern fringe, encompassing an area of about 5,180 sq kmuare
kilometres.
The coastline of Gujarat is 1,663 km long (over 20 per cent of the Indian coastline), with a continental
shelf of 165,000 sq km (over 35 per cent of the Indian continental shelf). There are two major
indentations, the Gulf of Kachchh and the Gulf of Khambhat, which account for over 60 per cent of the
coastline. The coastal and marine environment of Gujarat support rich fisheries in the 375 km wide
continental shelf, coral reefs around 34 islands in the Gulf of Kachchh, and mangrove vegetation on
creeks, estuaries and mud-flats around the coast. The water balance in the Gulf of Kachchh is negative,
with evaporation dominating the sum of rainfall and river run-off. The residence time varies from 8 to 51
days, decreasing upstream. In the Gulf of Khambhat, the water balance is positive. Residence time varies
from 4 to 15 days, increasing upstream. This means that the prevalent tidal oscillations cannot flush out
the Gulfs completely, leaving behind parcels of water whose residence time will continuously increase,
with serious implications for pollutants.
The surface water resources are concentrated mostly in the southern and central parts. The water
resources of the State get divided along the Sabarmati River into a resource-rich eastern part and a
resource-poor west. Most of the groundwater resources are concentrated in unconsolidated formations
covering about 40 per cent of the State. Of this, more than 70 per cent is restricted to the alluvial plains of
central and north Gujarat.
There are wide variations in mean annual rainfall. It varies from a minimum of about 300 mm in the
western part of Kachchh to nearly 2,000 mm in the Dangs, with Saurashtra and North Gujarat averaging
about 600 to 700 mm. The total annual surface water potential in the state is 38,530 million cubic meters
(MCM). South and Central Gujarat contribute 84 per cent of the surface water runoff. (Surface water
runoff is the surface water potential available from precipitation within the state and also the precipitation
in the upper catchments of the neighbouring states.)
The surface water potential and the gross annual recharge to the groundwater provide an estimate of the
total fresh water availability in the State, which is 54,593 MCM per year. South and Central Gujarat
account for 69.5 per cent of the total renewable freshwater of the state, while Saurashtra, North Gujarat
and Kachchh account for 17, 11.2 and 2.3 per cent, respectively. The per capita freshwater availability is
1137 m3 per year for the whole state, while on a regional basis it is 1,933 m3 in South and Central Gujarat,
734 m3 in Saurashtra, 875 m3 in Kachchh and 427 m3 in North Gujarat. Given the high inter-annual
variability in rainfall, particularly in the low rainfall regions, there are several years when the
precipitation is extremely low. High evaporation rates ensure that most of the streams and rivers in North
Gujarat, Kachchh and Saurashtra are dry during these low rainfall years. The result is a “hydrological
drought”, as most of the surface reservoirs remain empty.

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Only about 20 per cent of the state has a soil depth of over 150 cm, while another 15 per cent or so has a
soil depth of 100 to 150 cm. Coastal alluvial soil appears in very narrow bands in Southern Gujarat and
on the south-eastern and south-western coasts of the Saurashtra peninsula. The texture of the soil is
predominantly sandy, but silt of marine alluvial origin is also present. These areas are mostly used as
grazing grounds. Black soil is the most common, especially in Saurashtra. The Ssoils face erosion,
stoniness and salinity ares the major constraints for their soil development and conservation in various
landforms and physiographic units.
Many animal species, including lion, elephant, chinkara, jackal, cheetah, leopard, hyaena, wolf, caracal,
etc., from Africa had dispersed to the Indian subcontinent through south-west Asia, explaining the
occurrence of good populations of these species in the past in Gujarat. Of these, elephants and cheetahs
survived till the end of the 19th century.
The desert ecosystems comprise the Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK) and the Little Rann of Kachchh
(LRK), together occupying around 25,000 sq km. Seasonal inundation of the entire area by rainwater and
the diurnal inundation of the western half of the GRK by sea water, coupled with very high inherent
salinity, provide a unique type of ecosystem in the world. Parts of the GRK are important for the breeding
of flamingos and other biodiversity values and for the prospecting of salt-based chemicals. The LRK is
famous as the abode of the Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur), and it also supports prawn fishery
and salt manufacturing. Biological diversity is the major issue in this ecosystem, particularly in the raised
areas called “beyts” (islands), which are sustained by the monsoon showers. The vegetation is largely
xerophytic and dominated by the exotic Prosopis juliflora (Gando Baval). There are 695 species of
flowering plants in Kachchh district, of which 345 species belonging to 74 families are endemic to the
region (Blatter, 1908, 1909). The vegetation include Acacia nilotica, A. senegal, Salvadora persica, S.
oleoides, Commiphora wightii, Suaeda fruticosa, etc., while the larger animals include the wild ass, Felis
caracal (caracal), Gazella gazella (Indian gazelle), Hemiechinus auritus (hedgehog), Felis libyca (desert
cat), Ardeotis nigriceps (Indian bustard), etc.
Over-grazing, the spread of agriculture, the invasion of Prosopis and limitations of the land-use recording
systems have led to serious neglect and degradation of grasslands. In districts such as Surat, Bharuch,
Vadodara, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Panchmahals, these covered 8-10 per cent. In the districts of
Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Valsad, they covered 3-5 per cent. The
largest grasslands occur in Kachchh, particularly in Banni, Naliya and Khadir. Some of the dominant
grass species in these grasslands are Apluda mutica, Heteropogon contortus, Sehima nervosum, Themeda
quadivalvis, Cenchrus ciliaris, Panicum antidotale, Cloris gyna, Dicanthium annulatum, Ergrostris spp.,
Aristida adscensionis, Ischemum molle and Fimbristylis spp.
Forests spread over 18,868 sq km, about 10 per cent of TGA. However, there is appreciable cover only in
about 12,000 sq km (Vaidya et al., 1996). The rest is either barren or supports very sparse growth. The
moist deciduous forests are spread over less than 2,000 sq km in the districts of Valsad, Navsari and
Dangs. The dry deciduous forests are spread over 10,700 sq km in Narmada, Vadodara, Panchmahal,
Dahod, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Junagadh and Amreli districts. The thorn forests are widely distributed
towards the west and north-west parts of the State, covering about 5,000 sq km in Mehsana, Ahmedabad,
western Banaskantha, western Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Jamnagar, Rajkot and
Kachchh districts. The Indian Forest Act of 1878 obliterated did away the centuries-old customary use of
forest resources by the rural communities all over India. Independent India, through the National Forest
Policy of 1952, has continued with and further consolidated the colonial policies of exclusive state control
over forest protection, production and management. The major difference in the post-1947 situation has
been the rapid expansion of forest-based industry. The demands of the commercial-industrial sector has
thus replaced strategic imperial needs as the cornerstone of forest policy and management.
Gujarat has a diverse range of wetlands, including both coastal and inland systems that are characterised

3
by varying salinity regimes. According to the Asian Wetland Bureau, there are 235 wetlands (natural and
man-made) in the state, covering around 20,000 sq km. Many of these wetlands are of international
significance due to their strategic position in the migratory pathways of waterfowl. The inland wetlands
include riverine floodplains, freshwater ponds, lakes, reservoirs and irrigation canal systems, while the
coastal wetlands include salt marshes and salt lakes, creeks, mud flats, estuaries, mangrove swamps and
coral reefs. Man-made wetlands comprise a system of artificial tanks and lakes. Apart from the famous
Nal Sarovar, the Khijadia lake is also a prominent example, having recorded over 200 species of birds.
Salt pans in the coastal areas are also important habitats of waterfowl.

The coral reefs in Gujarat are in the Gulf of Kachchh, covering about 150 sq km in about 15 of the 40-
odd islands. The mangroves cover a large area of about 1,000 square kmilometres but are generally
scrubby and dominated by a single species of Avicennia. The best patches are in the Indus deltaic region
of western Kachchh, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the mangroves in the State.
A sizeable area of the shelf off Gujarat holds a fish stock of 4 to 6 tonnes per square kmilometre. Almost
70 per cent of the total stock of the shelf is available within 50 m. depth, and the highest stock density is
near 22 degrees latitude. While the fishing zones off Veraval are dominated by ribbon fishes (about 25
per cent), those off Porbandar and Dwaraka abound with horse mackerel (about 90 per cent) and pomfrets
(about 55 per cent) respectively. Other major types include ribbon fishes, sciaenid, cat fishes, sharks,
perches, and threadfin breams. The northern areas off Dwaraka and Kachchh are the most productive, and
compare favourably with some of the richest fishing grounds in the world. Fishing in the coastal areas of
Saurashtra, Kachchh and Saurashtra is an ancient but marginal activity. In 1997-98, Gujarat’s total
harvest was 702,400 tonnes. This does not include the large quantities of juveniles of several fish,
including the silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus, which are discarded as by-catch from trawling, dolnets,
and gill nets. It has been universally accepted that around one-third of the total fish catch is discarded into
the sea. If the estimated discards are taken into account, the actual harvest was 810,000 tonnes, which is
already beyond the estimated minimum sustainable yield (MSY) in fisheries up to 50 m depth. This
means that fish the stocks along the Gujarat coast are already fully exploited or overfished. Further, the
use of new and more efficient fishing methods, which might increase catch rates to some extent, would
probably lead to a further decline in sustainable fish populations.
Before 1947, agriculture was by and large rain-fed and cropping patterns were finely tuned to the rainfall
pattern. Seasonal migration in search of water and grass for cattle was common. So were wells and tanks.
Dams were few. Since not much water was used from rivers, streams and underground sources for
agriculture, property rights in water were not defined, nor was there any need to do that. Under the British
influence, though, riparian rights over stream and river flows were recognised in law. After independence,
agriculture has become a top priority, so public investment in irrigation increased manifold. The stage
was thus set for the construction of a large number of dams on the streams and rivers. Construction started
in full swing in the 1960s. Now a huge infrastructure of dams and reservoirs and a canal network has
come into existence. There are around 1200 major, medium and minor dams now.
The per capita final energy consumption in Gujarat is nearly double the Indian average. It is estimated at
361 tonnes of oil equivalent (Toe) per year, while the all-India figure is 186 Toe. However, the actual use
pattern is highly skewed in favour of small sections of the urban and rural populations that have benefited
from the rapid growth in industry and agriculture. So 56 per cent of the households -- 60 per cent in rural
areas and 35 per cent in urban areas -- still depend on biofuels, particularly fuelwood.

II

4
 What is Happening?WHAT IS HAPPENING?
…to tThe Lland

The soil resources of Gujarat are poor, with most of the talukas categorised in the low productivity classes
IV to VI. Over a million hectares of land suffer morethe soil loss is more than 20 tons of soil loss per
hectare every year, while in another 3.5 million hectares, it is suffer between 10 and 20 tons of soil loss
per hectare per year. There is also the problem of increased salinity in several areas. The central low-lying
belt between mainland Gujarat and Kachchh and Saurashtra has emerged as a severely saline area.
Coastal stretches of Saurashtra are also showing indications of increased soil salinity. About 2.48 M ha
area in the state is affected by varying degrees of soil salinity, out of which about 1.1 M ha is moderately
or severely affected (EC greater than 4 dsm). Thus iIn all, about 5.6 M ha is moderately or severely
affected by soil erosion and or salinity. This is about 35 per cent of the total reporting area of the state.
Scrub and thorn forests have been almost decimated and the collections of major forest produce dropped
by 77 per cent between 1970 and 1996, affecting biodiversity as well as the livelihood of several tribal
communities. The vegetation cover has also come down drastically. Grasslands have degraded and
numerous wetlands that form a gateway for many migratory birds are under serious threat. And, of
course, there are the ubiquitous threats from the dumping of hazardous solid industrial waste, not to
mention of biomedical waste and garbage from urban areas.

…to tThe Wwater

Not only has water become more scarce, what butis available is now badly polluted. Groundwater
extraction is the most common response to scarcity -- and in Kachchh and Saurashtra it has led to
seawater intrusion and to increased the levels of fluoride in North Gujarat.
The rivers are choked, recharge reduced, and the natural distribution of freshwater and silt has been
altered. In South and Central Gujarat there is water-logging. The flushing of the estuaries has also
reducedcome down, leading to the concentration of pollutants in both the surface and ground waters.
Scarcities are also leading to law and order problems, and conflicts are mostly resolved through arbitrary
political allocations.
Thanks to the increased groundwater mining and the consequent increased dissolution of fluorides,
nitrates and other salts, public health problems have proliferated. And, of course, there is the massive
public cost of electricity subsidies, apart from ever-reducing water availability. Reduced freshwater flow
in the surface drainage systems of Gujarat has led to increased salinity in downstream reaches and
estuaries, aggravating the pollution problem through reduced dilution and affecting the composition of
biotic communities such as mangroves and fisheries. Seawater intrusion has reduced the productivity of
land and induced a change in cropping patterns as well as migration as people leave their villages in
search of livelihoods.
The emerging water crisis in Gujarat is thus multi-faceted, with many interconnected problems and
dimensions and requires urgent attention.

…to tThe aAir

If land and water have been affected so badly, can air be far behind? Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
is the most common polluting factor in the State. The two major sources of ambient air pollution in
Gujarat are industries and vehicular emissions. All the six corporation cities record values that are
generally higher than the standard limits prescribed by the GPCB for residential and industrial areas. Air

5
pollution has emerged, as in other Indian cities, as a major concern in Ahmedabad and Surat, primarily
due to increasing vehicular emissions. Almost a fifth of the state's population is thus exposed to high
levels of emission.
Industrial development, on the other hand, which has driven the urbanisation patterns of smaller towns,
has contributed to ambient air pollution in smaller towns. The burning of refuse and re-suspension of dust
are also major contributors. The air around industries and industrial estates has become severely polluted,
particularly in the heavily industrialised and urbanised “Golden Corridor”. The hot-spots include the
GIDC estates of Ankleshwar (Bharuch), Vatva (Ahmedabad), Nandesari (Vadodara), Rajkot (near
Sardhana Industrial Corporation), Narol (Ahmedabad), Vapi (Valsad), and industrial areas near the GSFC
(Vadodara), IPCL (Vadodara), ONGC (Surat) and Reliance Industries Ltd. (Surat) complexes.

Air pollution within households is being recognised as a severe problem in all parts of the State,
particularly among the poor. The burning of biomass fuels in inefficient cook-stoves in rural areas and
among the urban poor has led to high levels of indoor air pollution. This is compounded by the lack of
proper ventilation in the houses. It is mostly women and children who bear the brunt of this. According to
studies, nearly 80 per cent of the rural population is exposed to health risks due to indoor air pollution.
Nearly 40 per cent of the population of Ahmedabad, living in slum households, depends on biomass fuels
which translate to nearly 17 per cent of the city population who are exposed to health risks due to indoor
pollution and 13 per cent who actually risk suffering from various respiratory diseases.

… to oOur Ccities

Three other factors contribute to In addition to air pollution, just described, Gujarat's cities are being
unhealthy: from three additional points of view: iInadequate water and sanitation;, inadequate solid waste
management;, and, high levels of noise pollution. The trends for in all three of these problems are
worsening.
Water and sanitation: The per-capita availability of water in several of Gujarat's cities has declined
between 1988 and 1995. But the total quantity of water available is only part of the picture. Other factors
are the short periods of water availability during the day (often only a few hours), inadequate water
pressure, and poor water quality. The level of sanitation coverage is also low, as low as 20 per cent in
some areas. As a result of the combined water and sanitation issues, water borne diseases like cholera,
other diarrhoeal diseases, a form of viral hepatitis, typhoid and other diseases are still prevalent. Indeed,
the health improvements effected by investments in water supply and sanitation -- and the enhanced
productivity consequent upon health improvement -- are more than adequate to compensate for the
investment made.
Solid waste: Due to the combined trends of growing urban populations and rising per capita urban
incomes, total municipal solid waste is growing at an overall rate of approximate 5 per cent% per year.
Per capita waste generation is projected to rise from less that half kg per day, to 0.7 kg per day in twenty
years. To date, the municipal systems and financing are not in place to deal with this growing problem.
Noise pollution: Noise pollution is perhaps the most under-rated and least understood of pollution
problems. Unlike water and air quality, noise levels are not monitored regularly in the country, although
occasional surveys have been conducted by the CPCB as well as by individual researchers. The average
noise level in the major Indian cities is in the range of 80-85 dB. Vehicular traffic is the most widespread
source of noise pollution, though in places like airports and industrial areas, one is exposed to louder
noise.

6
…to the fForests, Ggrasslands, and Bbiodiversity

The world over flora and fauna are the un-mourned victims of development. Gujarat is no exception and
many fascinating species have vanished forever. Elephants, cheetahs, the Indian bison (the Gaur), the
tiger and the wild dog (the dhole), the giant squirrel, the black buck, have all beendisappeared lost from
Gujarat. Doubtless, many more plant and animal species have met a similar fate in recent times. Many
more rare plant and animal species are now threatened. These include the Indian Wolf, Caracal, Desert
Fox, Dugong, Common Dolphin, Whale Shark, Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Pied Tit, Sarus
Crane, Olive Ridley Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, etc.
A few species are found only in small pockets in Gujarat, such as the Asiatic Lion in the Gir forests and
the Wild Ass in the Little Rann of Kachchh. While the last remaining single populations of these species
have shown signs of good recovery in the recent past, they remain highly vulnerable to stochastic events
like epidemics or natural calamities. Thanks to cultural reservations against the culling of some animals,
there are also species whose populations have increased so much in the last few years that they have
become pests. The Blue bull (neelgai) and Wild Boar (bhund) are two species which have a significant
impact on the livelihood of farmers.
Many exotic plant species were deliberately introduced into the state for increasing farm production,
combating desertification, experimentation and ornamentation. A few of these have turned into weeds,
most notably Prosopis juliflora, which has encroached on substantial land areas, including the famous
Banni grasslands in Kachchh. Other exotic species like Lantana camara, Parthenium (Congress Grass)
and Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth) were accidentally introduced into various habitats.
For migratory birds, dDeclining populations of migratory birds are directly linked to wetland
degradation. The population of the sarus crane in Gujarat may be less than half its 1984 population. Eight
species of water birds in Gujarat are listed as globally threatened species by IUCN. Among the threatened
fish species listed by ZSI (1991), five are found in the freshwaters of Gujarat. These are Notopterus
chitala, Tor khudrea, T. putitora, T. tor and Labeo kontius. Seventeen species of fish found in the
Narmada River are on the endangered list. The spawning migration of the hilsa and the giant freshwater
prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) to upstream of the Narmada will decline sharply due to the Sardar
Sarover Project. The hilsa fishery in the estuary of the Tapi river has already been affected by the Ukai
dam.

…to the cCoastal Zzone

The final impacts of developmental processes are often felt in the coastal zones. Abstraction of water
from rivers and aquifers, discharge of industrial and domestic effluents and construction of canal and road
networks in the mainland areas affect the delicate hydrological and material balance of the coastal
ecosystems in a profound manner. The State of Gujarat, rendered particularly fragile due to major
inherent spatio-temporal variability in these systems, is extremely vulnerable.
The massive off-shore fisheries are on the verge of a collapse. Severe degradation of mangroves and other
coastal wetlands have dealt a major blow to the recuperative capacities of the fisheries and other bio-
resources – traditional means of livelihood for many. Erosion of coastal landmasses and salinity ingress/
intrusion is also affecting the farm productivity in these areas, along with the problems of water-logging
caused by excessive irrigation in the head reaches of many projects in South Gujarat.
More recently, the coastal zone is emerging as the prime driver of economic growth, not just for the State
but, given its role as a gateway for hydrocarbons, also for the nation. Oil terminals, storage and berthing

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facilities, and refineries and ancillary units are being set up rapidly. Special economic zones, road
networks, habitation facilities and desalination units are being set up as well, resulting in unprecedented
social and environmental conflicts.
The legal and management systems are far from being effective. The Marine National Park and Sanctuary
still seeks to limit developmental activities but in effect excludes only medium and small-scale enterprise.
The coastal zone management authority (CZMA) remains only on paper and the regulations are
implemented in an arbitrary fashion, if at all. Knowledge, professional skills and flexible policies are
critically inadequate in meeting the growing challenges of this region.

III
What Can be Done?WHAT CAN BE DONE?
The first step in solving Gujarat’s environmental problems is to appreciate that what we are witnessing is
a tragedy of the commons. Underlying any environmental problem is a resource that is owned in common,
collectively or publicly. Each of the following problems has been caused by unrestricted access to a
common resource: Ddepleting fish populations, overuse of water, clear-cutting of forests, poaching of
animals, and polluting the air. To tackle these problems, it is necessary to involve those who are worst
affected by the deteriorating situation--- -- the local communities. They have the necessary incentives to
ensure that the environment does not get degraded. In cases such as many water, land and forestry issues,
it is important to transfer management and, wherever possible, ownership of the commons, to local
communities and user groups. Unless this is done, the incentives for sustainable resource management
will simply not be sufficient. For other issues, such as industrial and urban water and air pollution, the
role of the government regulator remains essential, even as the public is increasingly brought in to help
monitor the state of each problem and the means to improve it.
Sustainable conservation becomes possible only when people have a stake in conservation. Since access
to information is the cornerstone of effective public participation, it is vital that the government put all
information on-line, which will then be disseminated widely by concerned activist groups. The recently
enacted Freedom of Information Act should be effectively implemented.

…to eEquitabely Mmanagement of Wwater Uuse

The main environmental issue in Gujarat today is the sustainable management of hydrological systems, as
these are under grave threat. A good beginning has been made in irrigation and rural domestic water
supplies, where the government is transferring water related services to user groups.
Farmer-developed and farmer-managed systems of irrigation and related water services like drainage and
flood control have been in existence for centuries in many parts of the world in countries known for their
sustainable water management institutions. Even in India, there is evidence to suggest that private (and
community-level) management of tanks, bunds and canals was the norm before the colonial rule which
introduced the idea of government controls (though there was much debate). The emphasis of a young
nation towards irrigation infrastructure was supplemented by a patronising approach of the government
that seriously compromised local ownership and use. Today, there is a need to re-establish many of these

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features.
Establish firm Water Rights
Establishing water rights between different users is a highly complex task. It is also the most critical one,
as the success of any transfer programme depends on it. A beginning in this direction can be made by
firming up the rights on project waters based on the allocations made in the project plans and historical
use. This should be done with due care and after an examination of similar processes in how other
countries. have done it. In Gujarat, while the authorities have entered into long-term contracts for
industrial and domestic use, no such contracts have been made drawn with the farmers or farmer
organisations for the supply of irrigation water. This gap must be filled without delay.
Once quantitative allocations of project waters to various groups are decided on, they should be converted
into proportional allocations, which would automatically determine how much water each group would
get during the year based on water availability and remove the arbitrariness in the process of water
allocation. A framework should then be established to allow the holders of these rights to exchange them,
temporarily or permanently, as the needs of each sector change with time.
Transfer Ownership of Facilities
The ownership of small system components should be transferred to the water user associations (WUAs)
after a fixed period, the date for this being set in the transfer document itself. This would ensure that
WUAs would become fully responsible for conducting proper operation and maintenance. The level at
which the ownership would be transferred would be based on the level at which the management
responsibilities are transferred.

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TThe government should, however, retain ownership of major storage and conveyance facilities for bulk
supply, flood control and drainage, as the complexity of these operations and their maintenance dictates
that governments should have the power to ensure integrity of facilities and reliability of operations.
Facilities to be transferred should be fully functional and if necessary should be rehabilitated prior to the
transfer. The department and the user associations (WUAs) should jointly decide on the repairs and
upgradation required. WUAs should contribute significantly towards the cost of rehabilitation.
Institute Service Charges
The government and the WUAs should institute charges for all types of water related services that they
provide, at a level sufficient to avoid subsidies. A breakdown of the cost of bulk and local services for
each type and class of service should be worked out and publicised before the transfer.
Service charges should be based on the costs of providing the service. This is the most common basis
used worldwide by public utilities. This usually consists of a two-part tariff to reflect high fixed costs and
very low marginal costs, recovered on the basis of proper metering or a viable proxy for the same.
However, regardless of how service charges are determined and how they are collected, it is essential that
the WUAs have full autonomy and flexibility in determining the same in a manner fully transparent to all
members.
Restructure and S strengthen Wwater Iinstitutions
There is great need for strengthening and restructuring the institutional arrangements. For example,
transferring service functions to user organisations will mean thate downsizing of the agencies providing
these services now will need to be downsized. But, at the same time, some of the other functions that can
be provided only by the government will need to be strengthened, such as, overall regulation of water
rights system and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the surface and ground water resources, will
need to be strengthened.
It should be possible to transfer the local and intermediate level management responsibilities to the user
groups in all existing projects in the next five years. The costs involved would be in the low to medium
range with major expense in the initial phase for rehabilitation of the infrastructure prior to transfer. The
user groups should be able to share this cost.

…to rReducinge Air and Water Pollution

pollution of air and water
Pollution is caused by many factors. But the underlying cause beneath for each of them is the fact that the
cost of pollution is not borne by individual polluters, but rather by society at large. That is, there is no
disincentive to pollute. A step in this direction would be to impose non-compliance penalties rather than
enforcing the outright closure of industries. In China, non-compliance penalties have been reasonably
successful in reducing pollution loads, although penalty rates have not always been set to induce
abatement to desired levels. Fortunately, India’s domestic regulatory framework for pollution is
comparable with those obtaining in the developed nations. However, the economic, technical and
managerial capacities are very weak. One consequence of this has been correction through judicial
intervention. But this cannot happen in all cases.
Therefore, it will be necessary to develop and use market-based instruments. Many of these are available
for inducing incremental systemic correction. For example, an effluent charge levied on the basis of unit
load of pollutant released into the receiving environment, is a very effective instrument. However,
fundamental shifts in our legal and enforcement systems are required before this instrument is adopted in
India. The draft National Environment Policy is a move in the right direction.

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Reducing Iindustrial Ppollution

Once the polluter pays principle is accepted, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), in consultation
with urban local bodies, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and industrial
associations, needs to stipulate the parameters for monitoring and the pollution charges to be levied.
Charges could even vary by district or urban area, depending on local ambient conditions. The revenue
collected could be utilised for enhancing the environment management capacity of the participating
agencies, for providing financial incentives to industries for pollution control, and for undertaking
remedial measures.
In addition, the experience in Europe shows that public disapprobation and boycott is an important driver
of change. For this public access to information is critical. A programme in Indonesia, PROPER,
provides NGOs, the community and the press environmental information collected by regulators. Green
Rating Programmes can be introduced to reward the best performing firms and publicly name the worst
polluters. Companies that adopt cleaner production technologies can be publicly recognised to distinguish
progressive firms. The GPCB already has an internal assessment of firms and assigns them to yellow,
orange and red categories. It should make this information available to the public.
The regulatory burden of the GPCB could be made more manageable by holding managers at industrial
estates (rather than individual firms in them) accountable for pollution compliance, and through the
participation of local monitoring committees. Since GIDC is the major developer of industrial estates, it
should require, as part of the rental or sale of a plot to a company, that the company (a) have its own
pollution management systems and is directly responsible to GPCB, or (b) is affiliated to a CETP, in
which case the CETP becomes responsible to the GPCB on its behalf. Such private contracts are a better
means to the goal of decentralised regulation or self-regulation. Allowing and encouraging completely
private industrial estates is a logical extension of this idea. In the case of shopping malls, developers rent
or sell shops to individual businesses but maintain common facilities like parking lots. Similarly, private
industrial estates would be responsible for all the effluents of individual factories.
Responsible industry associations could also undertake ambient monitoring. The Ankleshwar industry
association has been monitoring ambient air quality in the area surrounding it. The Vapi Industrial
Association has been carrying out ambient monitoring in the Damanganga downstream for effluent
discharge, and for groundwater within the estate. It is also important to involve civil society by forming
local monitoring committees whose members have a personal interest in maintaining a cleaner
environment.
Even at the government level, ambient monitoring needs to be de-linked from compliance monitoring.
While the GPCB focuses on compliance monitoring, the Gujarat Environment Management Institute
(GEMI) could take up the responsibility of ambient monitoring with the help of university departments,
accredited laboratories, competent NGOs and other capable institutions.
Reducing Vvehicular eEmissions
Urban air could be quickly cleaned up by banning industries in and around cities, removing all older
vehicles, and switching to a single fuel. But the costs of such drastic measures are immense and, in almost
all cases, rather unnecessary if other instruments are introduced in a co-ordinated manner.
The fact remains, however, that older vehicles contribute significantly to the pollution of urban air. A
vehicle retirement and scrapping policy has been recommended for implementation under Section 59 of
the Motor Vehicles Act, 1999. But a more pro-active policy is needed to shift older vehicles away from
high population density areas. Japan has introduced an annual vehicle registration fee to encourage the

11
removal of older vehicles from polluted cities into less polluted areas. In India, such measures should be
combined with other non-fiscal measures such better management of traffic and increased greenery.
Leaded petrol has now been phased out in all major cities. The sulphur content in diesel has emerged as a
major concern, and ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD), with 0.005 per cent concentration, is being
demanded. However, it must be borne in mind that the transition to ULSD in the US is slated for the year
2006 due to the costs of this technology change. A more useful approach in our context would be to
tackle the issue of adulteration, usually with kerosene or naphtha. Price subsidies and protection of the
fuel market are the cause and are expected to be corrected soon.
Finally, it might also be worthwhile to create an Air Quality Management Committee within each
Municipal Corporation to (a) coordinate between public agencies involved in air quality (Transport,
Roads, Police, GPCB); (b) develop systems of enforcing direct fiscal penalties for emissions beyond
stipulated norms; (c) generate public awareness and involvement by supporting public disclosure of
emissions; and (d) conduct studies for source apportionment and develop dispersion models for metros
such as Ahmedabad and Vadodara, with the help of hired professional support.

…to rRestoringe Vvegetation and bBiological Ddiversity

Regeneration of natural resources is a long drawn out process. Therefore, long-term security of tenure is
critical. This requires a legally valid agreement between the forest department and each community
organisation, clearly specifying the rights and duties of each party and the period for which the
arrangement is to remain in force. The existing state resolution provides for entering into such agreements
but does not specify any time-limit for them, and not one has been signed so far. Where forest officers
revoke agreements, they should be duty bound to create new groups and make arrangements with them.
This will ensure that the right of revoking arrangements is not abused.
Community Mmanaged fforests, gGrasslands and Wwetlands
The principle of providing adequate stakes to local communities so that they have greater incentives for
the protection and sustainable use of forest resources is as true for dense forests as it is for degraded areas.
Thus it makes eminent sense that in such areas too the local communities should be involved from the
beginning instead of waiting for these areas to first become degraded.
Sharing of benefits is another area where the present policy on JFM needs to be improved. It is not
without significance that the two states, AP and MP, which have achieved signal success in JFM, both
provide for freely meeting all local needs and also for giving a 100 per cent share of the net income from
the timber harvest once an area is regenerated. There is no reason why Gujarat should not adopt a similar
policy for degraded forest areas. In dense forest areas, 50 per cent of the income from timber should go to
local communities.
All of the income from non-timber forest produce, including bamboo, tendu leaves and medicinal plants,
should go to the JFM groups. At presently the State has no clear policy on non-timber forest products
(NTFP), except for mentioning that the income from minor forest produce shall be shared according to
the provisions of the agreement. In the case of NTFP, the state should take a further step and remove the
monopoly of the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation (GSFDC) over minor forest produce and
allow JFM groups to directly market these products on their own, with provision being made for proper
record keeping.
JFM groups should be required to prepare micro plans at the earliest, and the Forest Department should
provide guidance and assistance in securing funds for these activities from its own budget as well as from
other sources. States like MP and AP have given special attention to this aspect and have established

12
close linkages with the watershed development programme to secure funding for plan preparation.
Funding can also be made available on a 50 per cent cost-sharing basis. The micro plans should cover the
whole area of the village and not just the forest area allotted to the groups. The JFM groups should be
given clear authority to lay down rules imposing penalties for different types of offences and to collect the
penalties.
The programme should also cover grasslands and coastal areas with mangroves that are under the
jurisdiction of the Forest Department to promote community-based management. Coastal mudflats with
the potential for mangrove regeneration are often part of cultivable or uncultivable revenue wastelands
with no separate classification. Such areas should be clearly delineated and brought under the effective
management of the local community groups directly dependent of them for their livelihood. Similarly, the
forest areas of Saurashtra and Kachchh need also be covered, with a view to improving the area under
scrub forests, which were once ample in these regions.
Involve cCommunities in Eeco-tourism
Wildlife also needs to be protected by arrangements that are similar to JFM. The same thing can be done
in respect of sanctuaries and national parks, particularly in the buffer areas. That is how the princely states
used to manage their game reserves which, apart from providing habitats to game animals, also met the
needs of the local communities. The objective must be to give local communities a vital stake in the
protection of wildlife. Paradoxically, it is the Wild Life Protection Act which is the main obstacle to this .
This is because it does not allow any activities that are not expressly necessary to protect the the interests
of wildlife alone. Recently MP has passed a resolution providing for the formation of “Eco-development
Committees” in villages within and on the fringes of protected areas to ensure their participation. Gujarat
should follow suit.
Promoting eco-tourism is a sensible way of generating revenue from wildlife protection. This can be done
with the active involvement of the local communities so that they too benefit from this activity. The areas
to focus on are Gir, the Wild Ass Sanctuary, the Marine National Park, the Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary
and the Central Gujarat wetlands. Private participation in tourism development and management should
be encouraged.
Stabilise the sSlopes
In the eastern hilly tracts suffering from severe soil erosion, there is an urgent need to start a special
programme for slope stabilisation, in addition to the better targeting of the ongoing Watershed
Development Programme. Not even primary treatment like farm bunding, gully-plugging, etc., has been
done in large parts of this tract, causing severe soil erosion. This is true even for privately owned
agricultural land. These areas can be quickly stabilised by the construction of simple farm bunds and
loose boulder gully plugging at relatively low cost. This would be the quickest and cheapest way to arrest
soil erosion and bring about discernible improvements in productivity in large areas.

…to dDeveloping Ccoastal Zzones for Ssustainable Eeconomic Ggrowth

Two concurrent strategies need to be followed. One, limit the total harvest of fish – the maximum
allowable catch (MAC) – based on regular analysis of data on the available fish stock and estimations of
the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and two, allocate fixed proportions of the MAC – not fixed
quantities – to individual fishermen.

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IntroduceT tradable Qquotas
The approach is heavily dependent on the technical knowledge of the regulatory agency and its ability to
allocate the quotas in a transparent and acceptable manner. Simultaneous capacity building of fishermen’s
groups is required to dismantle the subsidy regime and prepare for the trading of quotas. Iceland and New
Zealand have successfully implemented a tradable quota approach. On the basis of historical catch,
fishermen are assigned a fixed quota of fish that they are legally entitled to fetch. The quota is defined in
terms of the proportion of total allowable catch, not in a fixed quantity of fish. If the total allowable catch
increases, due to better management, each fisherman gets a proportionately higher quota. If it decreases,
each one gets less. If a fisherman does not want to use his allotted quota, he can sell it to others who
would then have the right to catch that much more fish. After the initial allocation of quotas, the
enforcement of rights is undertaken by local co-operatives of fishermen. Gujarat needs to replicate this
model. Towards this end fishermen’s co-operatives, which have become defunct need to be encouraged
and made responsible for most of the grassroots management.
Strengthening Coastal Zone Management
Management of coastal resources for development and conservation requires a holistic and integrated
approach. Therefore, rather than a line department, it is important to constitute an apex body that has
representation from all stakeholder departments. To ensure wider participation, the CZMA should also
invite members of civil society and prominent voluntary agencies as suggested by the Supreme Court in
an earlier judgement. The priorities of the State on coastal land-use need to be discussed, firmed up and
executed in a transparent manner. The policy then will become an acceptable guide for all line
departments with regard to their activities in the coastal zone. This body should also be able to arbitrate in
cases of deviation or conflict of functions.

…to rRe-designing Uurban Sservices that to Mmeet Ffuture Cchallenges

Quality of life in urban areas depends on the proper management of services and the environment. Within
this general framework, the priorities are improvements in water supply, sewage disposal, storm drainage,
collection and disposal of garbage, and general cleanliness. For low-income households and slums there
is also the problem of indoor air pollution and sanitation, in addition to inadequate water supply and poor
sanitary facilities.
The most effective solution for to urban problems is a more efficient cost recovery system that is linked to
the quality of services. This is usually achieved through a commercialisation in which various urban
services are sub-contracted to independent utilities or private service providers. However, successful
implementation of this solution requires maintenance of separate accounts for services provided by urban
local bodies, knowledge of the new public management systems, and expertise in drafting and enforcing
contracts with private parties.
The Urban Development Department (UDD) needs to link a series of fiscal incentives with the progress
of different Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). An effective place to begin is to require all ULBs to get certified
for ISO 14001 standards.
Urban wWater Ssupply, Wwaste Wwater Ttreatment and sStorm wWaterD drainage
These services are currently provided by public agencies, and, to date, there has been no effort to either
contract out these services or recover their full costs. Inevitably, the services have deteriorated,
particularly in the face of rapid urbanisation. Sewage treatment is non-existent in most of the urban areas
since there is neither a regulatory mechanism nor any incentives. This affects the downstream rural areas,

14
that are which are peripheral to the city management. Similarly, storm-water drains exist in only a few
large cities, where also, they either need major repairs or serve as sewage drains.
In most of the developed world, urban water supply and sewerage related services are provided by non-
profit entities of the “utility” type, working under the local municipal governments, although there are
some investor-owned (private) entities as well. These service entities are isolated from general municipal
governance by separate accounting books and a strict policy of self-financing. Ideally, the full cost of
services, including capital costs, is recovered from beneficiaries in the form of service charges. However,
in many countries, capital expenditure to create sewerage treatment plants and other necessary
infrastructure may be provided for separately, while operating and maintenance costs are recovered from
beneficiaries.
The simplest method of separating accounts and moving towards full-cost recovery is through the setting
up of non-profit, public utilities in each of the municipal corporations. As an alternative, the smaller urban
local bodies could also consider setting up internal but autonomous units. It might also be possible for a
single water utility to cater to more than one urban area, if these are contiguous. A third alternative is to
convert Urban Development Authorities into public water utilities for managing the water supply not only
in the Corporation area but also in nearby urban areas. The utilities are expected to work with private
service partners through a process of sub-contracts.
The real difference will be made by the quality of professionals who manage these utilities. The City
Managers’ Association of Gujarat (CMAG) is one body that could provide useful support in identifying
them. The enforcement of contractual obligations will be a major duty of the public water supply utilities.
This would mean developing and maintaining systems for monitoring the volume of water transfers, the
quality of the water supplied, and transparency in cost recovery. The urban water utilities would, in turn,
enter into contracts with the private sector to improve the efficiency of services. While the private sector
companies would have the flexibility to design and administer water charges, a minimum set of
guidelines will have to be put in place to provide for minimal pricing of subsistence level supplies.
Solid Wwaste mManagement
Although no single model is suitable for replication, the successes of many initiatives across India
provide important lessons that could form the cornerstone of a solution to the problem of solid waste
management in cities. Involvement of the private sector is a basic requirement. Upon privatisation, the
Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) saved 15 per cent and 23 per cent in primary and secondary waste
collection respectively. In Navi Mumbai, the cost of service delivery by private firms was Rs 4.3 million
per year as opposed to Rs 9.9 million incurred by CIDCO, indicating an efficiency gain of 56 per cent.
There are other well-known examples like Exnora in Chennai and SEWA in Ahmedabad, where
awareness, dignity of labour and community involvement has been emphasised in addition to efficiency.

IV
ConclusionCONCLUSION

It is clear that the dimensions of the problem are such the public agencies alone cannot be
expected to solve the problem. This means that if an effective solution is to be implemented,
there is no alternative to involving the people of Gujarat in the effort. This, in turn, means two
things: Ggreater co-operation between public agencies and the peoples’ organisations and, where
possible, a gradual withdrawal of the public agencies from management functions so that they
can focus on the policy and regulatory aspects.

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The draft National Environment Policy of the Government of India is a step in the right
direction. The State of Gujarat has played a leading role in the nation’s development based on
economic principles of growth. Now it has the opportunity to steal a march over other States
once again in environment management.
Environment management strategies, of the kind described above, will be effective, self-
sustaining and in tune with the demands of the times. But more interestingly, these strategies will
complement economic growth and overall development rather than contend with barren debates
on environment versus development.

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